Good idea running out the landing. The run-out sure beats chasing the glider around in a circle after you've flared with wings unlevel and then it finally noses over into the ground while you mutter expletives. Just ask me how I know.

Thanks for sharing, that looked like a fun flight! I'm feeling good, having just come home from my first flying day of the year myself. Not as grand as yours, I spent the day at the training hill. That's about all we have available up here this time of year. But after 10 flights, several minutes of air time, and hanging with a bunch of friends, I'm exhausted and satisfied. What a great sport! Push out, /jd

Good idea running out the landing. The run-out sure beats chasing the glider around in a circle after you've flared with wings unlevel and then it finally noses over into the ground while you mutter expletives. Just ask me how I know.

I know that same ground-loop whack scenario all too well myself. I have been getting used to landing on roads since this is becoming on of the best options for X/C flying. Augmenting this with a good drogue chute helps even further to minimize the duration of skim and length of the run. The beauty of roads is that you can see exactly where you will be planting your feet. No so for fields that obscure your view while you execute a flawless flare only to break an ankle or worse in a gopher hole or on the edge of a rock, etc. Not long ago I did a bone-headed approach at Crestline and overshot the LZ across the short direction then glided over the berm and out over a rock-strewn dirt lot. I did a shallow banked turn to go in a level to slightly uphill direction then lacked the speed to initiate a flare. I ran it out nicely although my feet became sore from my thin-soled trail running shoes. But it was a clean landing.

Flaring, running some combination of the two are all useful in different combinations depending on the situation. So are wheels which should never be overlooked for a variety of good reasons. I have watched pilots who can only flare but not run, pound in and vice versa. Pilots benefit from being good at both techniques.

Thanks for sharing, that looked like a fun flight! I'm feeling good, having just come home from my first flying day of the year myself. Not as grand as yours, I spent the day at the training hill. That's about all we have available up here this time of year. But after 10 flights, several minutes of air time, and hanging with a bunch of friends, I'm exhausted and satisfied. What a great sport! Push out, /jd

You're welcome JD. I have considerably more fun flying my Falcon 4 195 than my T2C 144 which I flew the following day for 2 hours. It handles and performs great but it's heavy and fast and working in close to the mountainside or near trees is pretty darned sketchy compared to the F4-195 or my modified Sport 2 155. Sketchy is no longer something I find fun. Soaring was pretty marginal where I flew the next day but if conditions were more robust I'd have enjoyed the topless wing a lot more. The right tool for the job. BTW - I'm chomping at the bit to get back on the training hill. I need to make arrangements with someone to drive the golf cart back and forth to launch. Launch and landing practice is fun and promotes better health and longevity.
Cheers, JD